Letters

Ryan’s Uterus

Dear Alibi,

Paul Ryan proves he scorns women as human beings every day. He hates them for their uteruses and for having minds. Although he might say he believes humans have free will, apparently that is a trait restricted to humans who have testicles. Let us explain.

We will refer to women as uterites, since Ryan seems to be obsessed with that aspect of women. We suspect his unspoken advice to them is “Get thee to a nunnery. Uterites are inherently prone to evil since most of them use contraceptives.” Uterites, according to Ryan, should always be grateful when male sperm enters them, even that of a near relative or a violent thug introducing it. Uterites should never object to any fertilization that results. Ryan’s great and good friend, Rep. Todd Akin, and he were cosponsors of the “forcible rape” law among other kick-women-when-they’re-down actions. Uterites have no right to determine the fate of their bodies, nor their futures. As Uterites, not having free will, they cannot plan their lives. They have no independent will.

If Uterites produce offspring they cannot care for, they are on their own. If such offspring are incapable of taking care of themselves, that’s tough ... no government help. If Uterites are hungry while pregnant, no food stamps for them or WIC assistance, and so on, despite what good those services may do for the child yet to be born.

Although government should be shrunk to the size of a miser’s heart and the poor forgotten, Uterites should be carefully watched since they might do things Ryan doesn’t like! Government should do trans-vaginal penetration and oversee Uterite-doctor actions, even if that requires an army of secret police.

Perhaps you think Ryan’s ideas are about saving women from themselves, since they are subhuman? Well, yes. His ideas are also about power and domination. Women should realize that in Ryan’s mind they are human zeroes. They don’t deserve equal pay (he voted against the Lilly Ledbetter Act). On the other hand, I have not heard he wants to outlaw vasectomies but, of course, men are exempt from restrictions and penalties related to birth control.

Women of the United States, do Ryan’s ideas make you think you smell Talibanism? If you don’t, start shopping for burqas.

Mary-Lou and Peter Smith

Creative Destruction

Dear Alibi,

Are we concerned about the widespread corruption and looting by the major players on Wall Street? I am still waiting for American capitalists to accept responsibility for their wanton looting. I request that American capitalists please stop calling this looting "success." I request that American capitalists stop hiding behind theoretical terms like "moral hazard" and "creative destruction."

If Wall Street capitalists were really interested in unfettered capitalism, they'd immediately cease all cheating and financial crime. Capitalists who cheat are asking to be regulated by government, the U.S. government that they both own and hate.

I can believe in "capitalism as a system for economic freedom and a necessary condition for political freedom," but such a system makes a mockery of itself when the most powerful capitalists in the world make their money by cheating. Do capitalists really need to cheat to win? So far, the answer is yes. Corruption is an integral aspect of Wall Street capitalism. Apparently, Wall Street capitalism cannot thrive without its lucrative corruption.

Where in capitalist theory does it advise that capitalists must engage in insider trading, cook the books, fake triple-A ratings, fake the Libor rates, and sell toxic funds, which they then bet against? Wall Street corruption is the ONLY reason why the U.S. government steps in to regulate Wall Street. If capitalists want the government to stay out of the capitalist sandbox, then capitalists must stop all cheating.

"The development of collectivist sentiment in this century" did not arise out of a vacuum, but arose from the pain caused to workers by the capitalist abuse of the working class. Why abuse and disrespect labor? Why not strive to build a strong working class? Let's all believe in the theory of Compressed Hierarchy, wherein the rich are still rich but not quite as rich, and the poor are still poor but not quite as poor, and the vast middle class is working hard and spending money like crazy! What is the capitalist's beef with high liquidity? High liquidity is every citizen's bread and butter, top to bottom. Every dollar that the selfish Ayn Rand capitalist hides in an offshore bank account is a dollar that stagnates, a dollar that does not move freely through the American economy.

Americans who make up the 99 percent have absolutely no love for communism, and would easily cast aside socialist tendencies if ... IF... American-style Wall Street capitalism were not rabidly corrupt.

The few people at the top of the American food chain have a huge advantage over the rest of us. That advantage is high IQ. I remain baffled as to why high IQ players on Wall Street and in corporate leadership can't see that their own malfeasance opens wide the Pandora's box of government regulation. I would think the high-IQ capitalist would be smart enough to recognize the economic power of pure honesty and high liquidity.

Greg LeichnerPlacitas

Walmart Worship

Dear Alibi,

[Re: Opinion, “Walmart on the Rio Grande,” Aug. 16-22] It is a challenge to argue in support of Walmart to a relatively left-wing Alibi readership, but there are some sound, even arguments in support of the new store location at Coors and Montaño. For starters, I live less than one mile from the proposed site and can vouch for the fact that many other neighbors of the site support Walmart and the jobs and increased options it would bring to our area.

If the store were a Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s, it is hard to imagine the same level of opposition. The land is zoned commercial, so regardless of Antoine Predock’s vision for the area, city planners always intended for some major development to be located at that spot. The area, by the way, has been a vacant lot and hardly “natural” for many years.

In terms of the site itself, it is worth nothing that Bosque School already backs up to the Bosque as would the proposed Walmart. To my knowledge, no one has complained about the school location. There is also a small park with a parking lot between the Bosque and the proposed Walmart.

Lastly, while Walmart is hated by most self-described “progressives,” Sebastian Mallaby of The Washington Post pointed out in a 2005 column that “the average Walmart customer earns $35,000 a year, compared with $50,000 at Target and $74,000 at Costco. Moreover, Walmart’s ‘every day low prices’ make the biggest difference to the poor, since they spend a higher proportion of income on food and other basics.”

Paul J. GessingPresidentRio Grande Foundation

Fan Mail

Dear Laura,

[Re: Letter From the Editor, “Saturn Return,” Aug. 16-22] I have enjoyed everything you have written from here in Pismo Beach, Calif. I read your reviews so I can dazzle my relatives in Albuquerque with my knowledge when I come to town. Damn! Now I have start all over and get used to someone else! Good luck to you whatever you are doing and wherever you are going! They are lucky to have you.

A fan, Jimmy Gonzales

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